Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force

INTRODUCTION

Representatives from the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology, the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, the American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion, the Asociación Latinoamericana de Perfusión, the Australian and New Zealand College of Perfusionists, the Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion, Comprehensive Care Services, the European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, Perfusion.com, the Society of Clinical Perfusion Scientists Great Britain and Ireland, SpecialtyCare, Tiny Perfusion Letter, and Vivacity Perfusion have formed the Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force to monitor the recent coronavirus outbreak and its impact on our community. Combining the strengths of all organizations, our goal is to disseminate information and resolve questions related to perfusionists and COVID-19.

This page will be updated regularly with new resources related to COVID-19. If you have any resources you would like added to this page, please email amsect@amsect.org.

Joint Task Force Webinars

Stay tuned for future webinars! Additional details will be posted here as soon as they are available.

The webinar will begin with medical experts Al Stammers, Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs, and Dr. Michael Firstenberg, who recently collaborated with The American Society for Artificial Organs (ASAIO), sharing their recent research to understand the role of ECMO in the management of COVID-19. The remaining 30 minutes will be used for an open discussion for the participants to share their experiences and questions with the panelists and participants.

Discussion Forum

DISCUSSION FORUM:

We have established a discussion forum focused on COVID-19 topics related to the practice of perfusion. We invite all members of the community to participate in the online forum. The forum is hosted through the AmSECT website. You will need either a guest account or a member account through the AmSECT website to post to the forum. Instructions on logging in, resetting your password, and creating a guest account are outlined below.

Want to receive emailed updates on posts made to the COVID-19 Discussion Forum?Follow the instructions here to subscribe and stay up-to-date.

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Discussion Forum Use Notice:

This site is provided as a service for the members of the perfusion community. The Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by the Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall the Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.

The Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of the Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force, we will take all appropriate action.

The Joint Perfusion COVID-19 Task Force reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.

Mental Health & Wellness Resources

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MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS RESOURCES

As perfusionists and all healthcare workers deal with the ever-changing dynamics of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, many negative emotions circulate throughout the day. Fear, stress, anger, depression, uncertainty, and anxiety to name a few. This disease affects us on every level. It affects us at home and at work in many ways. With updates and protocols changing so quickly, it’s easy to get lost in a downward spiral. The COVID-19 Task Force wants to provide some resources to aid in dealing with how we are handling our mental health during this crisis. To learn more about how you can better take care of your mental health, talk to your families and children about COVID-19, and squeeze in time for wellness and exercise, visit the Mental Health & Wellness Resource Page here.

ELSO Resources

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ELSO RESOURCES:

ELSO Resource Page: The ELSO COVID-19 Resource Page has a wealth of information relating to ECMO for COVID-19 patients. Content includes ELSO's guidance document on COVID-19, information on how to enter COVID-19 patients into the ELSO registry, ECMO-related COVID-19 Research, and more.

ELSO Educational Webinars: ELSO is putting together weekly webinars to help communicate important information to the extracorporeal life support community. See below for links to previously aired webinars and upcoming live webinars:​

ELSO Membership: In order to better communicate information regarding COVID-19 and ECMO, ELSO is will be offering complimentary memberships both for new centers and for perfusionists.

New Center Membership: ​ELSO is offering a one-time free yearly membership to new center members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Use code 68120617 when joining. Once they have completed the registration process, we will activate the center. This offer is good until the end of June. Once the center's membership application has been approved, each center's director and a coordinator will receive an e-mail with a username and password. Both will be administrators, so that they can renew membership (after a year) and add/delete users as needed. Centers will need to complete a data transfer agreement and anyone entering data will have to complete the data entry exam as usual. The link to join is: https://www.elso.org/Membership/CenterMembershipApplication.aspx

Individual Membership: ELSO is offering a one-time free yearly individual membership for new members. This offer is good until the end of June. The link to join as an individual member is: https://www.elso.org/MeetingJoin.aspx